Volkswagen, Audi, GM, Skoda to skip Auto Expo next year

The 2018 edition of the Indian Auto Expo will be held at Greater Noida in February and the event is organised by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) and business chamber CII.Pankaj Doval | TNN | May 27, 2017, 11:05 IST

New Delhi: The Auto Expo next year will miss cars from the stable of Audi, Volkswagen, General Motors and Skoda as the companies have decided to pull out of the event over concerns around return on investments (RoIs) and effectiveness of participation. Also expected to miss the action are Nissan, Royal Enfield, Bajaj Auto and Ford, though the companies are still weighing their options.

The 2018 edition of the Indian Auto Expo will be held at Greater Noida in February and the event is organised by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) and business chamber CII. While the organisers are clearly euphoric about the entry of new players such as Korean Kia, China's SAIC and France's Peugeot, the absence of some of the key existing players will surely be a disappointment.

The VW group, that operates top brands like Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Ducati, Porsche and Lamborghini, confirmed its exit. "The Volkswagen Group has taken a decision for not participating in the forthcoming Auto Expo 2018," Thierry Lespiaucq, MD of Volkswagen Group sales India, told TOI . "We have enjoyed participating at the expo in the past and hope to be back in 2020 (on the) basis of our brand promotion strategy."

Sources within the group, however, said there were "serious concerns" around the effectiveness of participation at the event, which is being held nearly 25-30 kms outside of central Delhi. The huge investments are also something that have prompted the companies to re-consider the decision.